


Between the sheets

by capeofstorm



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Communication Failure, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-09
Updated: 2012-07-09
Packaged: 2017-11-09 12:39:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/455548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capeofstorm/pseuds/capeofstorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No relationship is perfect - definitely not those Harry and Hermione find themselves in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between the sheets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yasonablack](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=yasonablack).



Hermione watched Pansy as the other woman got dressed. Pantyhose stretching over shapely legs, dress flowing down her curves, hugging them like a glove. Pansy Parkinson knew how to look good and she took pride in that. Hermione sighed and turned on the bed, burrowing under the covers. It was always the same.

“What is it this time, Granger?”

She looked up to see Pansy put a cigarette in her mouth and light it. Hermione wrinkled her nose, she hated the stench of nicotine and tobacco. Pansy smirked, her off-red lips stretching over her slightly yellow teeth. She needed to reapply the teeth whitening charm, Hermione thought.

“Nothing, Pansy.”

Pansy took a drag of the cigarette and let the smoke out.

“Clearly it’s something. You always have that terribly unattractive look about you when I get up and dressed.”

Hermione squared her jaw and glared at Pansy, bringing the covers to her chest, as if Pansy had never seen her naked before. She felt the need to hide, to stand under the shower and scrub herself clean. She always felt this way after Pansy visited her.

“Maybe you should deduct something from that,” she snapped.

Pansy quirked an eyebrow in amusement.

“I deducted plenty from that, Granger. I want to hear you say it.”

Hermione looked away from her, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. She would be damned if she was the first to give into this, if she was the first one to lay herself bare and vulnerable at the other woman’s feet. She knew better than that.

Pansy stared at her in silence, finishing her cigarette. She crushed it against Hermione’s light stand and licked the remnants of her lipstick from her lips.

“See you around, Granger.”

She grabbed her robe and Disapparated, leaving Hermione to stare at her walls, guilt, shame and longing swirling in her as usual. She sighed and laid back on the bed, burying her face in her pillow. She took in a deep breath, savouring the mixed scent of her and Pansy.

As much as she hated the situation she was in, she always came back. She might have stayed away for a few days but it always came back, that need to be near Pansy, to touch her, taste her, feel her, be with her. No matter how many times her friends told her to stop this madness, she couldn’t. There was something there, she knew it. There was something between her and Pansy Parkinson and she would dig into it, claw her way straight to the core of it even if it killed her.

*

Harry breathed harshly, his chest falling and raising quickly as if he had run a marathon. He arched his back as he felt Severus’ lips on his neck. This was what heaven was, he was sure. Severus’ lips on his skin, his hand on Harry’s cock, riding him through his orgasm.

“Severus,” he panted out.

“Yes, Harry?”

“Enough, please.”

Severus’ hand left his cock to cup his hip instead, the long fingers splayed on Harry’s skin, the warmth burning like a brand. Harry craned his neck to capture Severus’ lips, running his tongue over Severus’ teeth, tickling his palate. Severus moaned, his hand squeezing Harry’s hip.

“Enough, brat. I’m not a teen.”

Harry smirked at that, his eyes dancing with merriment.

“Could have fooled me.”

Severus’ flicked Harry’s hip and turned on the bed, laying flat on his back. Harry stretched, his muscles protesting deliciously, and curled himself around Severus. He laid his head on Severus’ chest, his eyes closed as he listened to the steady beat of Severus’ heart.

He felt Severus’ fingers card through his hair and he sighed.

“Aren’t you supposed to meet that Granger chit in half an hour?”

Harry took in a sharp breath and looked at the clock on Severus’ stand.

“Shit.”

He looked at Severus who smirked and made himself more comfortable on the bed. Harry narrowed his eyes.

“Oh no you don’t. You’re coming with me.”

Severus raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, you are, Severus.”

The other brow joined it.

“Please, Sev?”

“You know I care not for Granger or public places.”

“You care for me.”

Severus hummed at that noncommittally. Harry got out of the bed, found his underpants and put them on. He looked around for his trousers and T-shirt and found them by the door. He threw his T-shirt over his arm as he jumped around, trying to put his trousers on. He could _feel_ Severus roll his eyes at his antics.

“Come with me, Severus.”

The older man shook his head.

“No, Harry. You know I don’t particularly care for being seen in public.”

Harry closed his fist around his T-shirt.

“You mean you don’t care for being seen in public with me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m ridiculous, Severus? Name one occasion where you willingly went out in public with me. One occasion, Sev.”

He was met with silence.

“Exactly,” he spat, grabbing his wand and stalking out of Severus’ bedroom.

*

Harry stalked into their café, still angry. It’s been an issue between him and Severus ever since they got together eight months ago – Severus refused to be seen in public with Harry. Harry couldn’t help but feel that, somehow, Severus was ashamed of him and the thought of that made him burn with anger.

Hermione was already seated at their table, a mug of cappuccino waiting for Harry, still warm with heating charm Hermione cast discreetly. Harry dropped into the chair, a frown on his face. He looked at Hermione only to see the same expression on her face.

“Parkinson?”

She nodded and took a sip of her tea.

“Severus?”

Harry scowled more at that, his hands reaching to wrap around his mug. They sat in silence for a while, sipping their drinks. Finally Hermione put her mug down on the table and splayed her hands on it.

“What happened between the two of you, Harry?”

“I asked him to come. He said he doesn’t care for being seen in public. Doesn’t care for that, yeah right. More like he doesn’t care for being seen in public with me. He infuriates me so much!”

“He isn’t the most social person ever.”

Harry snorted at that.

“That’s an understatement.”

Hermione took a deep breath and started twisting her fingers. Harry looked at her closely, he knew

she would say something he didn’t like.

“Maybe it’s not about you, Harry. Maybe he really doesn’t want to go out.”

Harry closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, his hand combing through his hair.

“I could understand that at the beginning. It was great, having this secret with him. It felt clandestine and arousing and amazing. But it’s been eight months, ‘Mione. And he still doesn’t want anyone to know we’re together. Only you and Ron know, that’s all.”

“Why is it so important for you to be out in the open?”

“Because I don’t want to be someone’s dirty secret. I’m in love with him. I want the world to know that, I want people to acknowledge us. Is that wrong or selfish?”

“No, Harry. But Severus never really cared what people thought of him. He was never seen as someone, well, particularly well liked. I guess to him it doesn’t matter if the world knows as long as you two know,” Hermione shrugged.

Harry said nothing to that, choosing instead to look at the remains of his cappuccino. Hermione reached out and put her hand around his, squeezing gently.

“Look at me, Harry.”

He looked up at her and felt immediately ashamed when he saw the compassion in her eyes.

“What do you think the world would say to your proclamation of love for Severus?”

Harry squeezed Hermione’s hand and let it go, bringing his hands to hide his face. He clasped his hands together and rested them on his lips. Hermione’s question hung heavily between them, provoking imagined responses to Harry and Severus, filling Harry with dread. All he ever wanted was to be normal, to fit in. And now he couldn’t even go out in public with the man he loved if he didn’t want to see the media storm surrounding that.

“I guess you’re right.”

Hermione nodded.

“But both you and Severus forget something. I don’t care what people think about me or us. I just want things to be in the open. I don’t want to hide. I have enough of that.”

“Fair enough. But at some point the gossip, the hateful articles, the speculations, it will be too much and it will take a toll on you and Severus, Harry. It will take a toll on your relationship.”

“So that’s it? I can be with Severus as long as it’s a secret or I can sacrifice my relationship because I want to be normal?”

“I wish I could make it be different, Harry. You and I both hoped the war would change things for the better, but we were mistaken. If anything, the Wizarding world became more restrictive, more paranoid, more hung up on being saved and protected and special. And in that mentality, there’s no place for the saviour who fell in love with the Death Eater.”

Harry laughed bitterly at that.

“Yes, well. What’s up with you and Parkinson anyway?”

Hermione recoiled at the question, obviously bothered by the change in the topic. She sat back in her chair, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes trained on them. Harry’s heart broke at the sight.

“Hermione – “

“I know, Harry. I know. I deserve better. There’s something about her, I can’t really put it into words. I see who we could be, you know? I see who we could be if only she let us.”

“Yes, you deserve better. But that’s not what I meant to say.”

Hermione looked at him quizzically.

“What did you want to say, then?”

“She’s a Slytherin. She won’t make the first move, she won’t make herself so vulnerable. So you have to decide whether what could be is worth putting yourself at her mercy.”

“I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I’m brave enough, strong enough to stand it if she rejected me.”

Harry grinned at her.

“I dare you.”

“What?”

“I dare you. I double dog dare you.”

Hermione scoffed.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Harry, we’re not at school anymore.”

“My, my, Hermione Granger, are you backing out of a dare? Where’s your Gryffindor spirit?”

Hermione bit her tongue. She wanted to tell him it died the day she realised nothing really has changed after the war, the day she realised she fell for a woman who probably saw her as nothing but a play thing. But she didn’t let herself say that, she didn’t think she could waste the last of her fight on Harry.

“Fine.”

Harry looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

“Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll tell her to come see me tonight and I’ll tell her.”

“Good.”

“Just... Just be ready in case it goes wrong, okay?”

It was Harry who reached out for Hermione’s hand this time, enveloping her fingers in his. He did that every time they felt bad or faced something bigger than either of them; it was a habit he picked up since their days in the Forest of Dean and it always made her feel better.

“Of course.”

*

Harry went back to Severus’ quarters, his steps slow, dread settled firmly in his gut. He wasn’t sure of his reception this time.

He let himself in, the wards recognising him at once, giving Harry a start. It was the first time he noticed it, even though he made his way to Severus’ quarters alone for a long time now.

Severus sat in front of the fire, a glass of red wine in his hand. Harry looked at him, noting the ease with which Severus seemed to welcome him in his house. He swallowed loudly. Hermione was right.Severus was right.

“I’m sorry.”

Severus’ dark eyes focused on him, took him in – the slump of his shoulders, the hair sticking in each and every direction, the look in his eyes. Severus nodded, extending his hand to Harry.

“It’s forgiven, brat.”

Harry took his hand and sat beside Severus, wrapping himself around the older man.

“I haven’t seen it before. I was, well, I was stubborn and I thought you were ashamed of me.”

“But you see now?”

Harry nodded.

“Good.”

*

Hermione moved through her flat frantically. She wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea after all. She Owled Pansy as soon as she and Harry parted their ways and Pansy replied in affirmative, saying she’d come by in the evening.

Hermione looked at the clock on her wall. Pansy was supposed to be there in five minutes and Hermione’s courage left her. She felt herself shaking, her hands trembling. She was not going to have a panic attack because of Pansy bloody Parkinson!

Just as she started talking herself out of her panic attack, there was a knock at the door. She took in a deep breath and steeled herself. She helped defeat Voldemort, surely she could ask Pansy Parkinson to be her girlfriend.

She walked calmly to the door and opened it.


End file.
